Stacking chair



June 26, 1962 M. M. KING ETAL STACKING CHAIR u ma s V M June 26, 1962 M. M. KING ETAL 3,041,110

STACKING CHAIR Filed Sept. 29, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS, MJAI/I/ M. mm y 80x: m Md/i June 26, 1962 M. M. KING ETAL 3,041,110

STACKING CHAIR Filed Sept. 29, 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 l a INVENTORS. WJAV/ 2 A70? BY 66a! 7:44 Ma/ United ttes Filed Sept. 29, 1969, Ser. No. 59,233 2 Claims. (Cl. 297-451) This invention relates to stacking chairs and more particularly to a novel assembly and structure therefore.

The present invention has for its primary object a simplified stacking chair construction employing a unit continuous seat and backrest frame of general L-shape which is positioned between a pair of inverted U-shaped tubular leg frames and fixedly secured thereto.

As a further object to provision upon the seat portion of the seat frame, a padded and upholstered seat assembly removably secured thereto and to movably mount upon the backrest portion of the unit seat and backrest frame, a padded and upholstered backrest.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a novel form of unit seat and backrest frame assembly together with a novel method of securing the same to the unit legs for the chair.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a novel form of padded seat assembly and means for securing same to the unit seat and backrest frame.

It is the further object to provide a novel backrest assembly and method of mounting same upon the unit backrest and seat frame.

These and other objects will be seen from the following specification and claims in conjunction with the appended drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of the present stacking chair.

FIG. 2 is a side perspective view thereof.

FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view thereof.

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the chair, fragmentarily shown and partially broken away and sectioned, for illustration.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary plan view of the. unit seat frame illustrative of the positioning of the hardboard backing of the seat thereon for one side of the chair.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the chair, on a slightly increased scale with respect to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, with portions broken away, for illustration.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary section taken on line 77 of FIG. 6, on an increased scale.

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary section taken on line. 8-8 of FIG. 5, but on an increased scale.

It will be understood that the above drawings illustrate merely a preferred embodiment of the invention and that other embodiments are contemplated within the scope of the claims hereafter set forth.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the present stacking chair includes a pair of inverted U-shaped tubular leg frames 11 arranged in substantially parallel spaced relation with each frame defining a front and a rear leg.

Each of the frames 11 include the horizontally disposed bight 12 which normally projects slightly above the seat assembly 22, hereafter described.

Interposed between the upright leg frames 11 is a unit seat and backrest frame 13 which consists of a continuous tubular body including the upwardly and rearwardly extending side members 14, the transverse top member 15. The lower ends of the side members 14 are curved downwardly and forwardly and terminate in the forwardly extending side members 16 which are joined at their forward ends by the transverse tubular frame element 17 to thus provide a unit continuous tubular seat and backrest frame.

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The present unit frame 13 is positioned between the leg frames 11 as best illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4 and is fixedly secured thereto as by the brazes or welds 20 and 21, FIG. 4.

A padded and covered seat, generally indicated at 22, is positioned over the horizontal portion of a unit seat and backrest frame and removably secured thereto. The seat assembly includes the substantially rectangular hardboard 23 whose sides are tapered forwardly and outwardly as indicated in FIG. 5 and whose rear edge is arcuate so as to overlie and engage the arcuate transverse cross brace 18 also of a tubular construction, preferably square in cross section as are also the other tubular members, and with respective end portions of the cross brace 18 hearing against interior side portions of the unit seat frame and fixedly secured thereto as by the welds 19, FIG. 5.

The hardboard 23 accordingly overlies and is supported upon the side portion 16 of the unit seat and backrest frame and similarly overlies portions of the front cross member 17 as well as the arcuate rear cross member 18, as best illustrated in FIG. 5.

Opposed pairs of rivets 24 secure the angle members 25 to undersurface portions of hardboard 23, said angle members, including depending flanges 26 which bear against the interior upright surfaces of the cross members 17 and 18.

The depending flanges 26 of the angle members 25 are fixedly secured to interior portions of the cross members 17 and 18 by the self-securing sheet metal screws 27 and associated lockwashers 28.

The padded seat 22 also includes an outer covering 29 of a suitable tough plastic material, as for example vinyl or the like whose marginal edges extend under and are fixedly secured as at 30 to peripheral undersurface portions of the hardboard 23, there being a suitable thick padding 31 interposed between the top surface of the said hardboard and the flexible covering 29. This padding may be of Tuflex, a cotton batting or a wool stuffing or other resilient material to give the padded upholstered seat a full body and to render the same comfortable.

The unit back and seat frame also includes the J-shaped cross bar generally indicated at 32 which is interposed between side members 14 of the unit backrest frame and includes the respective tabs 33 on their ends which project within corresponding slots formed in the interior walls of the side members 14, being fixedly secured thereto.

The cross member 32 also includes the forwardly extending trough or lip 34, which as shown in FIG. 4, projects forwardly of the side members 14 and is adapted to receive the arcuate bottom edge 37 of the hardboard backing 36 which forms a part of the padded backrest assembly 35.

The said hardboard 36 is slightly tapered at its opposite upright sides and is positioned so as to engage the interior surfaces of the side members 14, and at its upper edge overlies the top cross member 15 and is suitably secured thereto.

For this purpose and as best illustrated in FIG. 7, a pair of transversely spaced clips 39 are secured by rivets 38 to upper portions of the hardboard 36. The clips 39 include the outturned flanges 40 which bear against and underlie the cross member 15 and are fixedly secured thereto by the self-securing sheet metal screws 27 which project up through the flanges 40 and through apertures formed through the undersurface of cross member 15, suitable lock washers 28 being interposed similar to the construction shown in FIG. 8 for the seat assembly.

The backrest assembly is furthermore completed by the flexible plastic or other covering 29 whose peripheral edges extend peripherally around the rear surface portions of the hardboard 36 and are suitably secured thereto as by cementing or otherwise, as at 30.

A suitable padding of Tuflex or cotton batting or wool is interposed under the covering 29 with respect to the hardboard 36 to thus complete the padded backrest assembly 35.

As particularly shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 arranged upon the interior surfaces of opposing portions of the front and rear legs are the buttons 41 of a suitable plastic material, for illustration to facilitate the vertical stacking of the chairs and for normally spacing the interior surfaces of the respective legs of one chair with respect to other surface portions of the legs of the corresponding chair upon which it is stacked to prevent scratching and to provide a quiet assembly.

One advantage of the backrest assembly resides in the fact that the backrest may be easily disengaged from the unit seat and backrest frame 13. All that is necessary is to remove the screws 27 and the entire backrest assembly may be lifted from the J-shaped supporting channel 37, as best illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 6.

It is contemplated as a part of the present invention that the leg frames 11 and the unit seat and backrest frame 13 including the cross members 17 and 18 are all of a tubular construction. In the preferred embodiment, this tubular construction is square in cross section.

The unit seat and backrest frame, in view of its continuous character provides a very rigid unit and an improved and simplified construction and particularly wherein the said unit seat and backrest frame are fixedly secured to the leg frames by welding or brazing to thus provide a completely rigid and unit chair construction.

Having described our invention, reference should now be had to the following claims.

We claim:

1. In a stacking chair, a pair of spaced upright leg defining inverted U-shaped tubular frames, a unit tubular seat and backrest frame of L-shape including tubular front and top crossmembers, spaced portions of said unit seat and backrest frame being Welded to said leg frames, a unit padded seat spanning and secured to the lower portion of said unit frame, and a unit padded backrest nested and secured within the upper portion of said unit frame, said unit frame including a horizontally disposed arcuate tubular rear cross brace inter-connecting and at its ends welded to intermediate interior portions of said unit frame, said unit seat including a hardboard base peripherally overlying lower portions of said unit frame throughout 360 degrees and secured to said front cross member and rear cross brace.

2. In a stacking chair, a pair of spaced upright leg defining inverted U-shaped tubular frames, a unit tubular seat and backrest frame of L-shape including tubular front and top crossmembers, spaced portions of said unit seat and backrest frame being welded to said leg frames, a unit padded seat spanning and secured to the lower portions of said unit frame, and a unit padded backrest nested and secured within the upper portion of said unit frame, said unit frame including an elongated arcuate cross channel at its ends secured to opposed interior sides of an upper portion of said unit frame and spaced below its top cross member, said unit backrest including a hardboard nested within said unit frame with its lower edge removably mounted and supported within said channel and with its upper edge bearing against and removably secured to said top crossrnembe-r, said cross channel being of J-shape in cross section and curved downwardly intermediate its ends, the bottom edge of said backrest hardboard being similarly shaped.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 187,264 King Feb. 23, 1960 2,302,969 McMahan NOV. 24, 1942 2,605,818 Dabbs Aug. 5, 1952 OTHER REFERENCES Institutions Magazine, p. 1 16, May 1959. 

